Chocolate (or White Chocolate) Cheesecake

Notes

This recipe uses half white chocolate and half semisweet. You can use all of one or any blend, but half and half is a very nice combination. I also used to make it with some raspberry-flavored chocolate, but that has become unavailable, so I either add some raspberry extract or replace some or all of the heavy cream (in the cheesecake, not the ganache) with raspberry juice (squeezed from about a pint of raspberries).

This recipe calls for changing the oven temperature several times. Because of the low temperatures, I figured accuracy was important, so I used an oven thermometer and made sure it agreed with the oven control setting.

I give two choices for the crust. For the cookie crust, I expect you can use almost any chocolate cookie, but I also give a separate recipe for those.

Chocolate: I use Callebaut for baking, which is available at Whole Foods Market and at Chocosphere, particularly the Callebut L60-40NV Thick Bittersweet Callets. Most brands may work well.

Ingredients

White Chocolate Curls

• long white chocolate bar or block

Almond Crust

• 3 C sliced almonds (10 oz., 283 g)
• ½ C sugar (100 g)
• 4 T unsalted butter (57 g)

Thick Chocolate Cookie Crust

• 10 Deep Dark Chocolate Fudge Cookies (414 g, 14.6 oz., 5 C chopped)
• 6 T unsalted butter (86 g)
• 1 t unsalted butter (5 g), chilled

Cheesecake

• 9 oz. white chocolate (255 g)
• 9 oz. semisweet chocolate (255 g)
• ½ C heavy cream (116 g) or 116 g raspberry juice or a blend
• 1¾ lb. cream cheese (794 g), softened
• 1 C granulated sugar (200 g)
• 1 t salt (optional, 5 cm³)
• 6 large eggs
• 1 t pure vanilla extract (5 cm³)
• optional: 2 T raspberry extract (30 cm³)

Chocolate Ganache

• ⅓ C + ½ T heavy cream (86 g)
• 1 T unsalted butter (14 g)
• 1 T granulated sugar (12 g)
• 3.3 oz. semisweet chocolate (94 g)

Equipment

• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• small nonstick saute pan
• 9"×3" springform pan (about 23 cm × 8 cm)
• food processor with metal blade
• stainless steel bowl
• double boiler with lid or film wrap
• whisk
• electric mixer with paddle
• rubber spatula
• baking sheet with sides
• instant-read test thermometer
• 1½-quart (1.4 l) saucepan
• large cotton towel
• serrated knife
• vegetable peeler
• serving plate or cake circle
• a cake lifter and/or two spatulas

White Chocolate Curls

• long white chocolate bar or block

Once warmed, use a vegetable peeler to shave off curls. You can cut a bunch and save the curls for future recipes. Set aside two ounces (57 g) for the current cheesecake. If you are making the white chocolate cheesecake, you can use the remains of the block in the cheesecake.

You can skip the curls, but they make the cake look very fancy.

Almond Crust

• 3 C sliced almonds (10 oz., 283 g)

• ½ C sugar (100 g)

• 4 T unsalted butter (57 g)

Press the mixture around the side of a 9"×3" springform pan. It may help to hold the pan vertically and rotate it as you press crumbs down onto the side of the pan. When the side is done, press the mixture onto the bottom of the pan. The quantities above are enough for a thick crust, so it is okay if you make a thinner crust and have some left over.

Place the pan in the freezer for 15 minutes. (You may leave it there 1 or 2 days, which I recommend to break up the work; the cheesecake takes all of an evening to bake.)

Thick Chocolate Cookie Crust

• 20 Deep Dark Chocolate Fudge Cookies (414 g, 14.6 oz., 5 C chopped)

• 6 T unsalted butter (86 g)
• 1 t unsalted butter (5 g)

• 1 t unsalted butter (5 g), chilled

Press the mixture around the side of a 9"×3" springform pan. It may help to hold the pan vertically and rotate it as you press crumbs down onto the side of the pan. When the side is done, press the mixture onto the bottom of the pan. The crust can be made with less of the cookie and butter mixture, depending on skill and patience, but I have settled on this amount since it is easier.

Place the pan in the freezer for 15 minutes. (You may leave it there 1 or 2 days, which I recommend to break up the work; the cheesecake takes all of an evening to bake.)

Cheesecake

Make sure the bottom rack of your oven is at least three inches below the center rack on which you will bake the cheesecake. Preheat the oven to 325 ºF (163 ºC).

• 9 oz. white chocolate (255 g)
• 9 oz. semisweet chocolate (255 g)

• ½ C heavy cream (116 g) or 116 g raspberry juice or a blend

Stir to be sure all chocolate is melted or almost melted. Warm longer if needed. Then remove from heat and stir until smooth. Put aside.

• 1¾ lb. cream cheese (794 g), softened
• 1 C granulated sugar (200 g)
• 1 t salt (optional, 5 cm³)

Beat on low for 1 minute, on medium for 1 minute, and on high for 1 minute.
Scrape down the side of the bowl, then beat on high for 1 more minute.
Scrape down the bowl.

• 6 large eggs
• 1 t pure vanilla extract (5 cm³)
• optional: 2 T raspberry extract (30 cm³)

Add the vanilla extract, the raspberry extract if using, and the melted chocolate mixture, then beat on medium for 15 seconds.

Remove the bowl from the mixer.
Use a rubber spatula to finish mixing the batter until it is smooth and thoroughly combined.

Pour the cheesecake mixture into the prepared springform pan, spreading evenly. (That is what Desaulniers’ instructions say, but the batter with white chocolate flows fluidly, so there is no need to spread it. If you use all semisweet chocolate, the batter might need a little spreading.)

Place a baking sheet with sides partially filled with 4 C of hot water on the bottom rack of the oven (the bottom rack should be at least three inches below the center rack).

Place the springform pan on the center rack of the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Lower the temperature to 250 ºF (121 ºC) and bake for 15 minutes.
Lower the temperature to 225 ºF (107 ºC) and bake for 15 minutes.

Then lower the temperature to 200 ºF (93 ºC), and bake the cheesecake until the internal temperature of the cheesecake filling reaches 170 ºF (77 ºC), about 2 hours and 45 minutes. (The cheesecake is liquid and will slosh, so do not lift the pan. Gently pull the rack partially out of the oven to bring the cake into reach so you can insert the thermometer.)

Turn off the oven and allow the cheesecake to remain in the oven undisturbed for an additional 2 hours.

Remove from the oven and cool at room temperature for 1 hour. (That is 6½ hours from start of baking until you are done for the day!)

Refrigerate the cheesecake for 12 hours (do not remove the cake from the pan).

Chocolate Ganache and Finishing the Cheesecake

• 3.3 oz. semisweet chocolate (94 g)

• ⅓ C + ½ T heavy cream (86 g)
• 1 T unsalted butter (14 g)
• 1 T granulated sugar (12 g)

Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 4 minutes.

Stir with a whisk until smooth.

Pour over the top of the chilled cheesecake. Use a rubber spatula to spread the ganache evenly over the top of the cake, being careful not to spread it over the edge and down the side of the cheesecake. (I do not use a spatula; if you pour the ganache immediately after preparing it, then you can get a smooth top just by tilting and rolling the cake. Avoid letting the ganache drip down the side.)

Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set.

The cake can now be released from the springform pan. To do this, wrap a damp, hot cotton towel around the side of the pan (the towel should be large enough to wrap completely around and cover the side of the pan) and hold it around the pan for about 1 minute. Carefully release and remove the springform pan. Use a serrated knife to trim the crust so that it is level with the ganache (trim the crust away from the cake so that it does not fall into the ganache).

Toss the white chocolate curls onto the cheesecake. Transfer the cake to a serving plate or cake circle.

Adapted by Eric Postpischil from page 104 of Death by Chocolate by Marcel Desaulniers.